Boyfriend of woman found dead on I-4 said she jumped out of the car 'spontaneously' during argument

Boyfriend of woman whose body was found on I-4 arrested

The boyfriend says the two were arguing when the woman jumped out of the car. He said he tried to turn around but ended up crashing into another car then fled the scene.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A man has been arrested in connection to the death of a woman whose body was found on I-4 near Orange Blossom Trail in January, police said.

Police have arrested 34-year-old Albert Ayala after his girlfriend Tequila Shepherd was found dead near her crashed car on I-4 on January 26. Detectives found that Shepherd was traveling in her car as a passenger while Ayala was driving.

Ayala was arrested for an unrelated incident on Wednesday, but confessed to detectives he picked Shepherd up from work and the couple got into an argument. He said the argument escalated when Shepherd ‘spontaneously’ jumped from the car while on I-4.

A witness driving behind the couple confirmed Ayala's account of the incident, police said.

Ayala said he attempted to exit the highway to turn around to get Shepherd, but lost control of the car, crashing it on the off-ramp from I-4 to Orange Blossom Trail. He then left the scene.

Ayala was booked in the Orange County Jail on charges of leaving the scene of a crash with death, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, and driving while license is suspended.